In analyzing programs designed to facilitate the recovery of individuals from cardine events, return to work is frequently used as a measure of effectiveness. Such programs include medical and surgical treatment of coronary artery disease following cardiac events such as myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, coronary artery bypass surgery, and other cardiac surgery.This paper examines the potential determinants of return to work, then summarizes their relative importance in a variety of clinical settings. Reports from the Second World Congress on Cardiac Rehabilitation, held in Jerusalem in late 1981, offer an international perspective to this aspect of the recovery process.1Cultural and national customs, as well as personal work status, satisfactions and autonomy on the job, and perception of medical risk, strongly influence individuals' decisions about returning to work. Specific advice by the therapeutic team can facilitate earlier return to work when appropriate. Finally, suggestions are made for further investigation into the medical, social, psychological, and economic facets of return to work.